


New Products

by DrayPotter_TFLS (DrayOakenshield)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Not Epilogue Compliant, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 16:19:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrayOakenshield/pseuds/DrayPotter_TFLS
Summary: A year and a half after the war George steps forward to help Hermione move past everything that has happened.





	New Products

**Author's Note:**

> If this seems familiar it's because I pulled it off my FFN and seriously edited it before reposting it here. 
> 
> I have detailed the abuse mentioned in this fic in the endnotes.

Hermione sniffled and wiped her nose when she heard a knock on the door barely an hour after breakfast. Ron had left her be for the first few months but he had been sending her owls around this time every day for the last week trying to get her to forgive him, she figured he had decided letters were no longer enough pressure to put on her and had resorted to coming around in person this time. "Please just leave me alone Ronald. You've done enough damage. I know your trial is in a week and I’m not going to change my mind and drop the charges." She stiffened when she heard the door open anyway.

 

"I’m not Ron, I don’t think mum will let him anywhere near this house while you’re here," George reassured quietly as the door shut again. A few seconds later Hermione felt her bed dip down as George sat down behind her. "Here I thought one of these might help." 

 

Glancing over her shoulder, Hermione inspected the candy George was holding out to her briefly before shaking her head and going back to staring at the wall. "George I'm not in the mood for your pranks right now. Please just leave me alone."

 

"It's not a prank candy. It's called a cheering chocolate, I invented them after- after the last battle. It's part of my new therapy line." He explained, setting the candy on the bedside table before kneeling in front of her and reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

 

Hermione examined George curiously. Ron had been keeping her from everyone in her life for over a year, when they became official after the war he became controlling and abusive so she hadn’t known how George had been handling the loss of his other half. Hermione had dealt with being slowly isolated from everyone in silence, not realizing anything was actually wrong with how their relationship was progressing until he slapped her across the face for writing a letter to Harry to wish him a happy birthday and promising they would catch up soon. Before her face had stopped stinging she grabbed her wand and apparated to the first safe place that had come to mind, the Burrow. 

 

When Molly saw the bright red handprint on Hermione’s cheek she had sat the younger woman down and made them both a cuppa before gently prying the full story from Hermione. Once all the details were out there Molly was fuming at treatment Hermione had received at the hands of her youngest son and set the magical law enforcement office after him. Abuse was not tolerated in the wizarding world, especially not against a war heroine who had lost her family protecting the wizarding world. Now, six months after that night, she was staying in Ginny's old room, staring out the window most days so she wouldn't have to face the family/ Even after so many months it was hard to be around them, Christmas had been especially rough this year. 

 

"Yeah, you missed a bit over the last year and a half. I made the cheering chocolates to help myself after the battle and word leaked out so I started mass producing them like the rest of our candies. The work like the mood stabilizers muggle doctors prescribe but quicker thanks to magic. When the ministry found out they offered to fund research for a whole line of candies and products to help other war victims." George said smiling softly. "I've got a couple of things produced but I need a partner to really help me go forward and no one I've talked to has had the right level of brilliance and insanity so further development is on hold for now."

 

Hermione stared at him, her eyes filled with emotions she couldn’t easily put a name too. Unconsciously, she reached out and took his hand before she spoke again, wanting the reassurance of human contact she had been denied for so long. "I'm sure you will find someone you can connect with soon. What about your girlfriend? I'm sure she's zany enough to help, anyone dating you would have to be."

 

"Me and Angelina broke up months ago, she couldn't handle the mellower George after the battle." He shrugged and squeezed her hand. “Honestly I’m glad for it. A year and a half ago I wasn’t the person she needed, I wasn’t someone who was in a good place to be in a relationship. Holding her back from finding what she needed wasn’t fair to either of us.”

 

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hermione murmured, returning the squeeze he gave her.

 

"Besides I've decided who I want to work with I just haven't been able to get a hold of them." George divulged with a slight smile, brushing off the platitude.

 

"Oh really who would that be?" Hermione asked, tugging his hand to bring him up onto the bed next to her. Silently she marveled at the security she felt with the older Weasley boy as he made himself comfortable next to her and wrapped an arm carefully around her shoulders. Sighing she rested her head against him and closed her eyes, this was the first time she had let herself think about the war and its aftermath in the past in the six months since she moved in and it was borderline exhausting but surprisingly she didn’t find herself wanting to end the conversation.

 

"Well, she's been called the brightest witch of our age. She was instrumental in the defeat of the darkest wizard since Grindelwald. And she's stunningly beautiful with her hair flying every which way because she’s been standing over a steaming cauldron too long." George teased gently, reaching up to run his fingers through the hair in question.

 

Hermione's eyes shot open as she looked up at him. "Did Molly put you up to this?"

 

"No, she actually tried to talk me out of it when I showed up this morning. She said you would go back to work when you were ready to and that I shouldn't push you. I told her I thought this was what you needed and that I would be a better person to judge what would be helpful for you seeing as you were exhibiting signs of PTSD." George soothed, still absentmindedly playing with her hair.

 

"How do you know about PTSD?" Hermione asked, grabbing the hand that wasn't playing with her hair and clinging to it, letting her head drop back onto his shoulder.

 

"Part of the research the ministry funded. I went to a muggle mind healer and that's what they diagnosed me with." George admitted quietly, clenching her hand tighter as the pain worked its way to the surface. Even nearly a year and a half later thinking about Fred’s death still hurt like a recently lost limb. According to the muggle he had been seeing that wouldn’t ever actually stop but it would lessen in time, the sharp stabs becoming dull aches that reminded him of his loss but still let him live his life without feeling like the world was falling out from under him everytime he thought about Fred. 

 

"I'm proud of you for going George. Not many people have that kind of strength,” Hermione whispered. She didn’t think she would have it in her to go see a therapist to talk about the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War or her relationship with Ron. Well before this conversation with George she probably wouldn’t have but seeing the way the older Weasley was opening up and talking made her think that maybe she could find it in her to go, to talk about losing her parents and friends to the War. She didn’t think she was ready to pick at the fresh scars Ron had left on her mind but the war would be a good place to start and, maybe in time, she would be comfortable enough to unpack everything Ron had done over the course of their relationship.

 

George shook himself out of his head. "It did help, it showed me that I'm not alone and can move forward. And I'd like to be able to do that for you." He offered, releasing her hand to pick up the chocolate from the bedside table and offering it to her again.

 

Smiling softly Hermione looked at George, hope blossom in her chest for the first time since Harry had declared he was going into the forest alone. Taking a deep breath she nodded slightly, deciding that she could no longer hide away in this tiny room while the world moved on and healed its wounds. "I'd like that. I think helping you research and develop new products could be fun." Hermione ventured, taking the chocolate and unwrapping it. "But I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship again," She added, so quietly it was almost inaudible.

 

"I know Mione. And I'm willing to wait, I'm willing to just be what you need right now and let the future bring what it will bring." George reassured with a smile, his hand finding its way back to hers as she popped the chocolate into her mouth.

 

"Thank you, George," Hermione whispered, shifting to hug George tightly and bury her face in his chest.

 

"Any time Mione. Anything you need I'll do what I can to give it to you." George promised hugging her back just as tightly. "Now how would you feel about coming and living above the shop? There are two flat's up there so you could have one to yourself and it would get you out of this funk you're in here. I’ll even help you furnish it and paint it whatever color you want."

 

"I think I would like that. Let me go down and talk to Molly then can we go?" Hermione agreed, fear trembling through her voice. For the first time she could remember since before she started fighting as a member of the Golden Trio she felt like she was truly her own person, the decisions she was making would only affect her. No more wondering how they would affect the war effort, no more being worried about how Ron would react to something, no more fear that she wasn’t acting the way the  _ Gryffindor Princess _ should. From today on she was going to be living for her, that thought was equal measures exhilarating and terrifying.

 

A flash of anger flared through George as he realized how hard it was for Hermione to ask for something for herself. "Whatever you need. Go talk to mum and I'll get your belongings packed. Then we will run to the furniture store and get whatever you need for the flat to make it completely your space"

 

Hermione nodded and gave him one more tight hug before walking over to the door. Pausing in the door she turned to look back and give him a genuine smile, "thank you again, George. You deciding to take me under your wing and help me might be the best thing that’s happened to me outside of getting my Hogwarts letter." 

 

“It’ll be good for both of us. It’s been too quiet in my flat without someone thumping around upstairs and I really do need someone to help with the charms on my other ideas.” George said as he stood and started conjuring boxes and charming Hermione’s few belongings to pack themselves into them.

 

With one more smile, Hermione turned and made her way down the stairs to talk to Molly and tell her what had been decided. In just a few days it would be the new year and the new millennium. If that wasn’t the perfect time for a big change she didn’t know when a better time would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Abuse mentioned is one slap and isolation.


End file.
